The parents of a seven-year-old girl who missed three weeks of school have been fined £80 after they were prosecuted at Northampton Magistrates’ Court.
The husband and wife, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were taken to court after they failed to pay a fixed penalty notice sent to them earlier this year.
The court heard the girl, who is a pupil at a Northampton primary school, only attended 74 out of 108 days at school between January 6 and April 8.
Representing themselves, the parents said they had returned to Eastern Europe to attend a funeral and had then been held up due to a need to get their passports renewed.
The father said he had not paid the fine because he did not understand written English very well.
Magistrates imposed a fine of £40 each for both parents as well as £40 costs and £20 victim surcharge, meaning they both have to pay a total of £100.
